Canaan

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• published: 10 Oct 2012
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A video about the culture of the ancient Canaanites. The Canaanites are a people living in a narrow strip of land between Egypt and Aram Naharaim (Mesopotamia). In times of peace, this brings trade and wealth from far away. In times of war, it brings mass destruction as large armies march through and conquer all land in their path. The Canaanites live in various kingdoms and city-states (Gezer, Megiddo, Jebus, Tyre, Sidon, Gebal, Ugarit, Hamath, Akko, Arvad, Dor, Jaffa etc.) which are ruled by a king and a small council of nobles. They have very small armies, and rarely conquer other lands (it's more common for them to engage in wars with other Canaanite kingdoms over borders and territory). More often than not, they themselves are being conquered by large empires surrounding them. The Canaanites are instead a merchant and trading people, sailing from their ports across the seas into far-off lands and building cities there too. The gods the people worship form a divine council or assembly, and they are largely part of the same family as well. El the benevolent father rules at the head, with Asherah the Queen of Heaven as his consort. There is also Baal, the storm god who is a powerful warrior, Ashtart the goddess of fertility, and Anat the ferocious goddess of war. Yam is Baal's enemy, the god of the seas. There is also Chemosh, Melek, Qaush, Dagon, Melqart, Sakkun, Eshmun, Adon, Gapn, Ugar, Kothar, and a number of other gods. Many gods also come from surrounding nations, such as Egypt, Babylon, Hatti, or Greece. In addition, each forest, mountain, and spring has its own baal, or local deity. The gods are worshiped in city temples, fairly small and modest in comparison with those of Egypt or Babylon. Each city has its own patron god. The people live in tribes, sometimes uniting for a common goal. Canaanites are a very flexible and constantly changing people.